Norfolk County Highpoint Trip Report

Great Blue Hill

Date: September 7, 2005
Authors: John and Kathy Mitchler
This county is great for families and kids. The road shown on the topo is paved
but restricted to official vehicles and is gated. I recommend you park next to
it in the huge paved lot near the museum's restroom building.
At the center edge of this lot, find a gravel hiking trail (old road shown on
the topo) and take it uphill to meet the paved road. Follow the paved road to
the summit. A gravel road near the summit leaves the paved road to the left and
goes to a wonderful stone tower with a view of Boston. The highpoint has two
parking lots, two radio tower facilities, and one castle-like tower that is an
observatory. The highest bedrock appeared to be inside the iron fence.
This observatory is the oldest continuously operating observatory in the USA
(February 1, 1885) and is open to members (617-696-0562). Apparently, Great
Blue Hill is the tallest point along the Atlantic coast south of Maine.
There are 22 hills in the Blue Hills chain.
We took exit 2 off I-93, just a couple miles east of the junction of I-93 and I-95,
and drove north on MA 138 for a half mile, passing the ski area parking lot
and Blue Hills Trailside Museum to reach the trailhead parking lot on the right.
If you see Green Street on your left and Canton Avenue on your left, you've gone too far.
We left the area by going north on MA 138 (Blue Hills Avenue) to Boston.